Nightforce ATACR Scope Review

Awesome review.

Has there been any talk with Nightforce about the thinner subtension lines with the crosshairs? It would be enough for me to upgrade to the ATACR.
 
Ive had mine now for a few weeks and have another coming on my LRKM soon. Im very pleased with the clarity and MOAR in it. Broz was right on target with the review of this scope. I was going to get another NXS, Now I'll be buying ATACR for my next rifles. I put mine on an Allen XHS 338 Allen Mag I just picked up 1.5 months ago. it was an good improvement over the NXS 5.5x22x50.
 
The Wait For The MOAR Version Through My Dealer Was Getting Too Long, So I Went With The Mil-R
Version And Don't Regret My Decision. I Really Like The Ranging Sub Reticle In Lower Right Quadrant. Glass Is Definitely More Crisp Than Standard Nxs Glass. Everything Else Is Typical Nightforce. Can't Wait To Get My Rifle Done To Put It To Use
 
Great read and follow up thread. Does anyone know if the NF Comp. 15-55 sports the same glass as the ATACR? Do you think you could do group shooting at 1000 well with 25 power?
 
Thanks for the review. I've been looking for something with this kind of internal elevaltion to use on my 7 Dakota and my 338LM Improved (both of which go to the desert for ELR adventures). I guess its time to get in the queue and snag a couple.

Jeffvn
 
Armored Transport - You might want to visit some of the Benchrest web sites and do some reading. The new 15-55 is not being received all that favorably. Questions regarding eye-relief and availability/reticle chooses. From what I have been reading many are staying with the earlier Nightforce choices.
 
Armored Transport - You might want to visit some of the Benchrest web sites and do some reading. The new 15-55 is not being received all that favorably. Questions regarding eye-relief and availability/reticle chooses. From what I have been reading many are staying with the earlier Nightforce choices.

I have been reading on other forums about the new ATACR and it is getting a warm welcome from many. Even from the owner of a prominent military based site who is known to be a die hard FFP guy. I was pleased and surprised to read his praise of the ATACR. But.. I can not comment on the bench rest models, I do not shoot off a bench much and shoot to distances well beyond what is normal for BR.

This week I have been setting up my second ATACR and have shot from 100 yards to 2500, all done on 25X. Plus some reticle alignment on a 1/4" line at 80 yards in 90* bright sun. The eye box on the ATACR is easily acquired. I have also grown more satisfied with the MOAR reticle in the ATACR and it's slightly thicker sub-tensions. Even though I would like to see a thinner crosshair in the floating X I am having no issues shooting groups with the current MOAR.

The only draw back to the ATACR is it runs a bit heavier than the NXS's. But that is not an issue on my long range rigs where a scope of this caliber shines, well past 1000 yards. I am still very much a fan of the NXS scopes, but if buying new I doubt I will let another $350 stand in the way of buying the ATACR. That is unless it is simply for a rifle or caliber that does not need the upgraded features of the ATACR.

I am really liking this scope guys!!! My opinion since this review has only grown fonder with more use.

Jeff
 
I have had my ATACR in mil retical since 28feb2013. This is by far the best scope I have. I bought it for a norma build that I am still waiting on an action for. I had an opertunity to use any scope for this project but decided to go with this one and havent regreted it yet. Like any kid with a new toy I had to play with it. I have only had a chance to shoot it out to 1000yds. because its mounted on my .308 mule, but I have used it a lot. I think it's redundant stating how well it tracks and how amazing the glass is. The only thing that can be said negative is the weight, the not available everywhere rings and the subtension is a hair large. Still a winner in my book though.
BTW. I love the badger ordnance 34mm m-40 rings with ADI
 
Finally got out to shoot mine. Just for barrel break in at 100 yards but man, is the glass nice! I'm going camping this weekend and plan on stretching it out a bit.
 
wow, I am glad you mentioned that. I missed the rifle the first time I looked at the pics, seeing only the Bud Light can! :D I thought he maybe made the Bud Light can into a rifle can! :D

Just playin'.

Great Rifle!

Scot E.
 
Thanks Broz for the Great Review, Thats alot of work you and MontanaMarine went through for this scope, So Thank you to the Both of You.

I'm a little confussed with the MOAR system, So can you explain how you Range with it???,

I get the part about 1moa at 700=7" and at 800=8" ETC but if a Man is at 800 thats where I get lost, So with a 72" Target how does the MOAR system Relate to it Because this Has been holding me Back from changing from MilDot scopes with Moa Turrets, And as we had a chat about it back on that FFP Vs SFP thread with the Mil/Mil scopes and MOA scopes, Sorry to be A Numb Nuts but I feel like Im in A Foreign country with this One.

Thanks Mate, John
 
Thanks Broz for the Great Review, Thats alot of work you and MontanaMarine went through for this scope, So Thank you to the Both of You.

I'm a little confussed with the MOAR system, So can you explain how you Range with it???,

I get the part about 1moa at 700=7" and at 800=8" ETC but if a Man is at 800 thats where I get lost, So with a 72" Target how does the MOAR system Relate to it Because this Has been holding me Back from changing from MilDot scopes with Moa Turrets, And as we had a chat about it back on that FFP Vs SFP thread with the Mil/Mil scopes and MOA scopes, Sorry to be A Numb Nuts but I feel like Im in A Foreign country with this One.

Thanks Mate, John

John, first I do not range with a reticle, I choose to use a laser Rangefinder. The reason is to range with a reticle you have to know the targets exact size, the game I hunt varies in size even among the same animals. An elk said to be 24" tall at the brisket could easily be 28 or 30" a 10% error here will result in a 10% mis-range on distance. So that could easily turn into a target at 900 yards reading 810 yards or 990 yards, that simply will not cut it.

But to answer your question directly, if you know the exact target size, like you said 72", and it measured right at 10 of the MOA hash marks in the scope it would mean the target is close to 700 yards away. This is of course at 25 X on the ATACR. Or you could turn it down to 12.5 X and the hash marks would become 2 moa. At 12.5 X your 72" target would only be 5 hash marks in dimension.

Hope this helps, glad you enjoyed the review.

Jeff
 
Thanks Broz for the Great Review, Thats alot of work you and MontanaMarine went through for this scope, So Thank you to the Both of You.

I'm a little confussed with the MOAR system, So can you explain how you Range with it???,

I get the part about 1moa at 700=7" and at 800=8" ETC but if a Man is at 800 thats where I get lost, So with a 72" Target how does the MOAR system Relate to it Because this Has been holding me Back from changing from MilDot scopes with Moa Turrets, And as we had a chat about it back on that FFP Vs SFP thread with the Mil/Mil scopes and MOA scopes, Sorry to be A Numb Nuts but I feel like Im in A Foreign country with this One.

Thanks Mate, John

There are different calculation approaches used to determine use of Mildots but I'll take a crack at this using the methodology that I use to compare the two. Anymore, I use my rangefinder most of the time, but still keep my reticle ranging system as a back up.
Just like with Mildots, if you know the size of the target, you establish a range that your known target size is equal to 1 mil. At 1000 yards 1 mil is equal to 36". Therefore a 72" man would be 2000 yards when sized to 1 Mil. To get your range you would divide 2000 yards by the mil measurement of the target. For example if you measured 4 mils, the target would be 500 yards away(2000/4mils). If the target measured .5 mils it would be 4000 yards away(2000/.5). for hunting purposes, using mils, a deer at 18" chest size would range 500 yards for 1 Mil.

Using MOA the process is the same but you are using 1" instead of 3.6" per division. That same 72" man would be at 7200 yards. If the measurement taken with a MOA reticle was 10MOA the target would be at 720 yards. The scaling for this size target is not practical in most of the scopes we use, but can be used for the game we hunt. An 18" chest for a deer would measure 1800 yards for 1 MOA(18"x1"x10). If the measurement taken was 4MOA the deer would be 450 yards(1800/4MOA) Once I determine the the the formulas at practical ranges I make a card with the MOA measurements and ranges for the various species of game. Using the conversion of 1 MOA = 1 inch, is close enough and usually within the ranging error in most practical situations. If high precision was required, 1MOA is actually equal to 1.047".
 
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